


Keep It To Yourself (5+1)

by Pseudthisyafucks (collettephinz)



Series: The Long Distance Problem [9]
Category: Youtube - RPF
Genre: 5+1, Alternate POVs, M/M, Mentions of Anxiety, Relationship anniversary, Uhm, basically people see jack and felix being a couple when they aren't supposed to, brad's supreme editing, ethan's camera, everyone's great, except when they suck, lots of making out, mentions of christmas charity stream, mentions of depression, outsider pov, relationship observations, video references
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 19:55:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13130976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/collettephinz/pseuds/Pseudthisyafucks
Summary: Five times someone saw a part of Jack and Felix's relationship that wasn't theirs to see, and the one time Jack and Felix found out.





	Keep It To Yourself (5+1)

**Author's Note:**

> wrote this in like five hours ffs

While he wouldn’t necessarily say that Felix always sent him the most amazing and brilliant footage in the world, Brad couldn’t say that he didn’t enjoy what he did. The Bros themselves were very attentive and supportive to the editing they saw, and they had learned, pretty early on, that Felix wasn’t the one doing the work anymore. Brad took pride in the fact that everyone saw an immediate difference and held it like a badge on his chest. Only three more gyms to go. 

And he liked editing. He wouldn’t be doing it if he didn’t. It wasn’t like Felix didn’t pay him well enough that Brad didn’t have to do anything else with his time to making a living, and it wasn’t like he didn’t absolutely love making the footage something unique and interesting and really, distinctively Felix. Everyone looked that for slapstick, delayed silence, and stuttered English, and Brad always made sure to give them that.

Sometimes, the footage he left out wasn’t always being cut because it wasn’t funny or entertaining and relevant. Sometimes he had to cut footage for the same reason he left other types of footage in— like getting the door or looking up things online. Brad liked messing with Felix, especially since Felix didn’t check the footage before he uploaded it because he just didn’t have that kind of time, apparently. 

Other times, Brad edited out things to protect Felix. It was never anything really serious (if Brad had taken that calling seriously, the Wall Street Journal crisis probably wouldn’t have happened. Brad stood by the fact that it was pretty fucking hilarious regardless), and Brad really just wanted to make sure the video had the “quality content” that people would enjoy and Felix would freak out about.

And then sometimes, he cut out things he knew he wasn’t supposed to see. 

It wasn’t like Felix to be unaware of a camera on him, as he was always so nervous about keeping up a front and being the person he’d set himself up to be when being recorded. Contrary to popular belief, Felix didn’t scream constantly when he was with his friends, and he didn’t do that ridiculous thing where he spit into the camera and squinted and just generally freaked out. Felix was quieter in person. He wasn’t nearly as sociable and he liked the small group of friends he had and Felix was always, always hyperaware of a camera on him because of that fact. So it wasn’t like him to forget that he was being recorded. 

Brad hadn’t even known anyone had been at the studio when Felix recorded the other day. He’d been doing his first watch-through of the footage, something he always did to help get a good hand on what Felix expected to be the outcome alongside Felix’s requests in the email he sent with the file. Honestly, Brad wasn’t even sure what was happening in the video, but he knew people loved Felix’s rants, and he usually did himself, he just. He didn’t really notice that someone was over until the very end, when Felix was done, except the footage kept going. Brad could see what he believed was Felix ending the recording, but the footage didn’t stop. And at first, Brad had this great fucking gag in his head, where he would leave this in for just a few seconds just to give Felix shit for forgetting to actually cut off the recording, and then everyone would give him shit for the 10:01 ad-pocalypse bullshit, except—

Felix got out of his chair on the screen and turned to someone offscreen with this weird smile Brad hadn’t seen on him before. Well, okay, he had, once or twice, and only in other moments that Brad knew he wasn’t supposed to be seeing. When Felix got a message from someone he never told Brad about, or when he saw watching something that he’d instantly hide, that was when Brad would see this particular smile. So it was weird to hear a voice to accompany it. 

_“Ye’ fuckin’ done yet?”_

That was green PewDiePie, Brad would know that voice anywhere. The Irish accent was recognizable enough, and Jack had this voice that sounded like the edges of puberty. Why the fuck was Felix smiling at _fucking Jack_ like that?

 _“I’m sorry I can’t just drop everything, jesus,”_ Felix said with this happy laugh that sounded way too joyous to be coming from fucking Felix of all people. _“I’m always the one coming to see you, I think it’s only fair that you do it just this once.”_

_“Wow, way to make me sound like a shitty boyfriend.”_

Brad almost knocked over his monitor, because his first instinct had been to punch a hole in the damn thing for playing such a shitty prank. He quickly replayed the footage. 

_“Wow, way to make me sound like a shitty boyfriend.”_

God, fuck, what the fuck. Felix didn’t flinch at the title, or even call Jack out for a bad joke. He only smiled even brighter and got a little red in the cheeks. Brad was basically entranced at this point, unable to look away from how Jack was able to get Felix all flustered with something that simple. Jesus christ, apparently Felix was a giant girl. 

_“What’d ye’ record?”_

Jack was suddenly in frame, leaning over Felix into the camera, his entire front pressed against Felix’s side. He bent over Felix and looked at the screen, which kept him from noticing the way Felix stared up at him, completely in love. Jesus, it was almost hard to look at. If Felix were a poet, he’d probably regal Brad with tales of the boy that shone like the moon and stars, drowning out the sun, or something stupid like that. 

_“The fuck even is this Felix?”_ Jack asked with a giggle. He looked down at Felix, wanting an answer, but Felix leaned up too quickly for Jack to speak, and kissed him hard. Brad heard Jack’s breath catch as Felix’s hands came up to hold the Irishman’s face. When they didn’t pull away after a moment, when Felix tilted his head back and let Jack take control, Brad quickly skipped forward, realizing that they intended to keep kissing each other like that for quite a while. When he got to the end of their liplocking, there was only a few seconds left.

 _“I’m so happy you’re here,”_ Felix said.

The camera battery died and that was the end of it. 

Brad sat back in his chair, thinking for a long time. He then replayed those last few seconds.

_“I’m so happy you’re here.”_

_“I’m so happy you’re here.”_

One more time.

_“I’m so happy you’re here.”_

It was genuine. A heartfelt truth, and revealing. Felix looked almost broken when he said it, and something sad came over Jack’s face too when he heard it. Brad realized that, in that moment, they were both thinking of when Jack wouldn’t be there, sometime in the near future. Jack lived in another country, of course they wouldn’t be able to see each other all that often. There was something bittersweet in both their eyes in that moment. Brad felt an overwhelming pity for them. 

Fuck, Brad couldn’t keep this in, but he also felt like he couldn’t get rid of it. If Felix and Jack ever felt courageous enough to actually come out and tell Brad what they were, he wanted to have this to give to them. It was an intimate moment that had barely anything to it, save these last few seconds. And Brad wanted Jack to see just how fucking in love with him Felix was. 

Brad chewed on his lip before quickly opening a new file, cutting the small amount of footage, and pasting it into its new home. He saved it somewhere secret, next to his porn collection, ready to give it to them if the chance ever arose. For now, he’d keep their trust. 

. . .

“Okay, but it would be really cool to get together and mash them up sometime,” Mark said, only half paying attention as he set up his new controller. It was a super cool playstation skin with pink splatter across the handles. He’d spent way too much on the damn thing and couldn’t wait to discover that it functioned no better than the one he already had. Jack was on his computer screen, squinting at his screen, making a thumbnail. They’d started up the Skype session intending on recording something, but had just ended up talking for the past two hours. Now they were onto their alter egos.

“Dark and Anti, meeting at last,” Mark boomed, with a flair for dramatics. “Think of the chaos they would create, the trenches they would dig. Think of the bodies they would leave in their wake.”

 _“Think of the fanfiction they would write,”_ Jack snorted. _“I’m all for it, but I ain’t got much time in me schedule for a while. Think I can pencil ye’ in sometime in the next, oh, ten years?”_

Mark snickered. “What, all your free time being taken up by a certain Swede?”

As one of the few labeled trustworthy enough to be in the know about the most secretive YouTube power couple, Mark took every chance he had to tease. He wasn’t sure who else knew at this point. Him, Mark, Wade, probably someone’s parents? Brad knew by now, Jack had mentioned something about a video. Felix’s birthday was going to be coming up, so Jack and Felix were planning on telling a few others just to save themselves the need to explain why it was so important they spend the day together. 

Still, not a lot of people knew, and as the first person to know, it made Mark feel like he was the president of some club, welcoming esteemed new members with the crown of seniority atop his head. And with that crown came the right to give the lovely couple all of the flack in the world. 

“It’s not like you guys get to see each other all the often, anyways,” Mark continued. He secretly loved talking about their relationship. He wanted to just write “goals” across their foreheads and gush over how cute they were. “I’ll bet whenever you do get together, you say fuck all to everything except each other, right?” Mark put a hand over his chest, swooning. “You’re just so good together.”

Jack looked a little guilty. _“I mean—”_

Jack’s recording room door opened and Mark sat up straighter when he saw Felix come in with a plate of something. _“You’re not recording, right?”_ Felix asked, eyes suddenly wide like he’d forgotten to check. _“I thought I heard someone else in here.”_

Mark slowly turned his now-judgmental attention to Jack. 

“Seán fucking McLoughlin,” he said slowly. “Are you telling me that you’ve been neglecting your boyfriend, who spent his time and money getting on a plane to get to you, to talk to me for hours on end? I’m not touched, Seán. I am offended on Felix’s behalf. Do you realize how rarely he gets to come over? We haven’t been doing a damn thing aside from shooting the breeze!”

 _“Hi Mark!”_ Felix greeted, wincing through a smile. _“Uh, Seán? I, I brought you lunch.”_

Felix set down a plate that had an assortment of cut fruit and cheese and crackers. It was arranged with symmetry and Mark realized that he hadn’t eaten either. His mouth practically watered. “Jack, if I could reach through this computer and smack you, I would.”

 _“I told him to do it,”_ Felix defended, smiling down at Jack with something like overwhelming and absolute love. Mark’s heart melted. _“He hasn’t gotten to talk to you in ages. He’s here on my orders.”_ Felix leaned down to kiss the top of Jack’s head before turning around. _“Come out whenever you’re done, I’ll put a movie on.”_

Mark looked to Jack and saw the deepest regret come over his face. Mark hadn’t meant to give Jack too much shit, especially now that he knew Felix had been the one to even suggest their evening. If Felix had been the one to push Jack to record and hang out with friends, then who was Mark to criticize? It wasn’t like he was the one in charge of what was right and wrong for the two of them. It wasn’t like he was actually part of the relationship as well. But Jack still looked like he felt guilty. 

_“Felix, wait.”_

Jack was out of his chair, throwing a shirt over the camera like he wanted to hide whatever he did next from Mark. Too bad Jack had garbage aim— the shirt only covered half of Mark’s view. He could still see the door. He could still see Felix and Jack, as Jack took Felix by the arm and turned him around. 

Mark had to cover his mouth to keep from outright squealing when Jack kissed Felix as hard as a porn star. He watched Jack’s arms come around Felix’s neck to pull him down just that last inch. Mark began recording his monitor footage, knowing he would need this at a later date for whatever fucking reason. He heard Felix let out this tiny, pleased little sound, before a sharp gasp as Jack’s hand moved down from Felix’s neck and out of view. 

_“Seán, wait,”_ Felix choked out against Jack’s lips. _“He, Mark—”_

 _“Covered it up, ’s fine,”_ Jack reassured him. Now it was Mark’s turn to feel guilty. _“I’ll be done soon, I swear,”_ Jack said, doing something out of frame that made Felix lose his ability to stand for a second. _“I’ll be back t’ ye’ soon, Fe’, just a little longer.”_

 _“I can wait,”_ Felix assured him with this shaky smile, like he was having trouble focusing on the conversation. _“Jesus, you didn’t cover up the speakers, he could totally hear me sounding like a fucking slut, jesus.”_

 _“My slut,”_ Jack cooed before pecking Felix on the lips one last time, and then pulling away. _“Five more minutes.”_

_“Make it thirty.”_

_“Ten.”_

Felix was out of view and the door shut. Jack pulled away the useless shirt with an apologetic expression. _“He’s a little shy sometimes, sorry.”_

Mark just nodded, deciding he wasn’t going to say anything, apparently for Felix’s sake. “I’m gonna agree with you and make this end in about five minutes. Was that moaning I heard?” It was kind of fun to play around with them. “You probably want to get back to him soon. I’m surprised you aren’t just permanently in his pants when he’s over.”

 _“Ye’ heard that?”_ Jack had the gall to grin like he was proud of himself. _“He’s somethin’ else, Mark, you should see ‘im. Fucking gorgeous son of a bitch.”_

“I’ll pass,” Mark laughed. “Feck off wit’ ye’, ye’ Irish bastard! Go take care of your boyfriend.”

Jack looked like an excited little boy as he ended the session. Mark was left with lingering regret, but fuck it. Even though he wasn’t supposed to see it, he was sure he would be able to play the footage for them at their future wedding which was definitely going to happen one day. 

. . .

“Why is Felix coming over?” PJ asked as he zipped up the back of Jack’s costumer. He honestly didn’t even remember where he’d gotten such a creep looking bear outfit, as it was very similar to the Pedo-bear meme, but he was proud of his find regardless. Jack looked like the cutest little thing in this, with his green hair and dorky smile. Jack was the perfect drunkard trying to make money for Christmas presents. PJ was a damn genius. 

“He said something about food,” Jack replied, fixing up his hair a little bit so it wouldn’t be in his eyes when he pulled on the costume head. “He wants to bring us dinner. I told ‘him ye’ve got it covered— which ye’ totally fuckin’ don’t— but he insisted. Probably sandwiches or something.” Jack shrugged. “He’s probably bored, being at the house all alone.”

Oh, PJ was sure it was that. Totally. Definitely. No, it wasn’t at all that Felix wanted to see his boyfriend or anything. Felix was just being a good samaritan and bringing them food, because food was important for human beings, and Felix wanted to keep the from starving. He totally didn’t want to see Jack in particular or anything, no, not at all.

PJ just rolled his eyes and went to find his “son.” Brad was standing at the porch, staring outside into the freezing night with nothing but distinct regret. PJ wasn’t sure why— he thought the Hawaiian shirt Brad was wearing looked lovely and totally would be adequate for the cold outside. 

“Felix is apparently gonna come by with food,” he told Brad. “Want me to ask him to bring you something better to wear? Even though it’s absolutely perfect the way it is.”

“It’s fine,” Brad sighed. He just sounded so excited. “Food? Felix does know we already ate, yeah?”

“Oh, like you actually believe he’s just here as a delivery boy.” PJ grinned and nodded back to where Jack was. “The lovely couple apparently has some sort of separation anxiety. Totally weird. Wouldn’t have labeled Felix as codependent before this, but who the fuck knows anymore?”

“Felix’s been sleeping shittily again,” Brad said. “He probably had a bad moment. You know he normally wouldn’t put his nose into your business otherwise.”

PJ sobered a little and shrugged. “I invited him to hang out.”

“And he probably responded with some bullshit about not wanting to be a bother.” Brad shook his head. “It’s so fucking cold out there. You’re a sick man, PJ. A definite sadist.”

“I’m telling you, we can ask Felix to bring you something warmer, we don’t have to leave you in that fucking shirt.”

There was a ring at the door, then a shout from Jack saying he got it. PJ shrugged it off and discussed the video with Brad again, making sure that he knew not to legitimately stab Jack, because they didn’t have one of those snazzy stage knifes and only the real thing. After a while, the smell of warm food beckoned PJ. He had eaten only an hour ago, but he always had room for more. PJ went into the kitchen and raised his hands to the ceiling in praise at all of the pizza he saw. He heard murmured voices in the living room, so he grabbed a slice and left the kitchen, intending on thanking Felix, because who else could have brought this?

He stopped, though, when he saw them.

Something was wrong. 

Felix was sitting in a chair, his head in his hands, with Jack crouched just in front of him, still in that stupid bear costume. Something was very wrong. Felix looked like he was shaking, and it sounded a little like he was close to crying. Jack was talking to him in a low murmur, his expression full of concern. He held to Felix’s face with gentle hands and spoke too quietly for PJ to hear. But he didn’t need to know the words that something was wrong and Jack was doing all he could to fix whatever it could be. 

After a moment, Felix lifted his head. His eyes were red, his expression drawn. He wasn’t okay, it was obvious in the way he reached out to cling to Jack. The image of the Swede holding the boy in the bear costume would’ve been almost hilarious if it wasn’t such a sober moment. 

“I’m sorry,” Felix said. He sounded almost sick. “I, I shouldn’t have come, you’re busy—”

“Shut the fuck up,” Jack interrupted kindly. “Ye’ ain’t any sort of problem, Fe’. I’m here for ye’.”

“It’s just so stupid—”

“It ain’t stupid if it hurts ye’ like this.” Jack pulled Felix closer so Felix’s face was in the crook of his neck. Felix melted into him, arms coming around Jack to cling to his back. “I’ll be done in a few hours, yeah? You can stay here if ye’ want, you can watch. It’s just stupid fun, Felix, ain’t no harm.”

Felix shook his head, though. “I’ve got to get back to the dogs.”

PJ watched Jack’s body sort of slouch in defeat. “Of course, Fe’,” Jack said. “I’ll be home soon.”

PJ pulled himself away from the scene, back into the kitchen. He almost wished he could ask what was wrong, but he knew he hadn’t been meant to see any of that. It had been a complete breach of privacy and he regretted it. PJ ate his slice of pizza with guilt. Guilty pizza. After a moment, he heard the front door open and close. Jack came into the kitchen, looking a little downtrodden. PJ raised his mostly-eaten slice in greeting. “Tell Felix thanks.”

Jack nodded, resting his hands on the back of a chair and wringing his hands around the wood. 

“You seem stressed,” PJ observed with the utmost neutrality. 

“Felix is having a bad night,” Jack said. For a moment, PJ was touched with the trust he was being given. He almost felt like he didn’t deserve it, because he hadn’t been able to look away soon enough. “I wish I could help.”

“We could always record this tomorrow.”

“He’ll feel worse if we do that.” Jack sighed. “Fuck.”

PJ watched him for a pause. “If it helps, you help.”

Jack looked up at him with a frown. PJ knew he needed to elaborate.

“He’d get bad sometimes, back when you were in Ireland,” PJ explained. “It would last days on end and shit. Really worrying stuff. Since you came here, at least the bad has only lasted a night or so. He doesn’t get nearly as messed up as he used to.” PJ nudged Jack in a friendly manner. “You help him a lot. You make things better for him. Don’t forget that.”

Jack smiled a little. “Thanks, PJ.”

“No problem.”

“You always know what to say.” Jack gave him a dopey, exaggerated smile. He was messing with him. PJ rolled his eyes and fought a grin. “Paging Doctor PJ, come in PJ. I need ye’ to help sort out me feelings. Give me some of that sunshine, tiny planet explorers.”

“I was trying to be nice!” Pj laughed. “Don’t be a dick about it.”

“I’m sorry, Pj, I’m not trying to be a dick, just _bear_ with me a moment.” Jack waved his costume head around to make sure the joke was clear. “I hope these jokes aren’t too un _bear_ able.”

“Get your ass outside,” PJ ordered. Jack cackled and did as told as PJ grabbed one of the pizza boxes to follow. Even if Felix was feeling a little down, at least Jack was there to bring him back up. That was what really mattered. 

“Hey, Brad!” Jack called out. “I hate to be the _bear_ er of bad news, but it’s time for you to freeze to death!”

Brad let out a horrifying wail of agony as PJ handed him the pizza box to help warm his hands. If Jack was able to put aside Felix’s pain for a few moments of professionalism, then so could he.

. . .

As someone who didn’t record himself for anything other than games very often, Robin was a little out of his depth with the Christmas charity livestream. The set seemed weirdly hollow to him, even with the warmer lighting. Robin didn’t know Emma and PJ and Ethan at all, too, and having the cameras and the lights on him was a little disruptive. The first stream had gone pretty okay, though, leaving Robin excited for today’s stream, which was to start in the next couple minutes. The Overnight madness had riled everyone up, and they were all excited for the energy they would have today, but no one could find Jack. 

Like, no one.

The studio wasn’t anything huge, but it had enough turns and closets to make finding some akin to a scavenger hunt. Robin and Ethan had split up only a moment ago. Jack wasn’t in the dressing room or the bathroom, so all that was left to check was the halls. 

It was so unlike Jack to hide away like this, especially for such a big event. Jack had put a lot of work into setting this whole thing up, so Robin couldn’t imagine why he was suddenly late to the final segment. Had something happened? Had someone gotten hurt? 

Robin almost started to run with every corner he rounded, slowing only when he heard voices. He glanced around, then saw the door to an office was slightly open, but no one was inside. He sighed in defeat, reaching the end of his won area of search. Robin turned around and headed back to the recording area, stopping by the small dressing room one last time, just in case. He opened the door, twisting the knob a little harder than he’d needed to before because it seemed like the doorknob was stuck, and stopped in his tracks, frozen in shock. 

His brain struggled to catch up with what he was seeing, so he observed it with categorical attention to detail.

Jack had his back to the wall, his head against the plaster. 

His eyes were shut and he was breathing weird.

He was whispering someone’s name over and over in between whimpers.

His shirt was hiked up and his pants were down his thighs. 

His hands were tangled in a mess of silver hair.

He was thrusting into someone’s face.

Add it all up for a solution: Jack was getting a blowjob.

Robin slammed the door shut behind himself harder than he should have. He was sure he’d disturbed whoever was— _oh my god, that was Felix._ That was Felix sucking Jack’s dick, what the fuck. 

Robin was bright red in the face, and he didn’t know what to do with his hands, so he settled with waving them wildly in the air. A low noise reached his ears, and he realized it was coming from himself. He was making this weird, animalistic whine. Robin quickly slapped a hand over his mouth to silence the sound. 

He rushed back to the set.

“There you are!” Ethan exclaimed. “Did you find him?”

“He’s in the, the dressing room,” Robin said, struggling to get control of his hands.

“Dude, why are you so red?” Emma asked.

“How’d you get into the dressing room?” Ethan asked. “The door was locked!”

Robin heard the whining again.

_Vad fan._

. . .

Ethan took picture after picture, caught up in the glee with being abroad. He’d only ever seen American beaches before, and while the beaches in Britain weren’t actually different, the feeling was there. He got pictures of the change houses, of the sand, of the rocks and waves. He dragged Robin along as he ran around, snapping all the photos he could.

“Have you seen Jack?” Ethan asked. “I wanna get some shots of him and everyone else. I think it’ll be fun, you know? We could do a group photo!”

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Robin said, his voice tight. He’d been acting weird since yesterday, before the stream. “No need to worry.” Robin paused. “Do you think… I mean, are he and Felix close?”

“Who and Felix?” Ethan asked. “Jack? I mean, they’re friends, right?”

“Of course, of course.” Robin nodded, looking far away. “I just… I think they are much closer.”

Ethan snickered. “What, do you ship it?”

Robin went scarlet in the face. Ethan laughed. “The whole world ships it, dude, who cares? They’re good friends and I guess they get along pretty well, not much else.”

“Did you know they live together?”

Ethan shrugged. He remembered Mark mentioning it. “It’s economics.”

“Of course, of course.” Robin didn’t look convinced.

“If you want, we could always just ask him.” Ethan looked around for their friend. “Jack, dude, where are you?!”

“Oh my goodness, no shouting,” Robin hissed, hushing him violently. “No, no, it is fine. I will just—” Robin cut himself off, rushing away quickly. He was so flustered. Ethan shrugged, mostly to himself, and didn’t let it bother him. He had more pictures to take. 

He snapped some photos of the surrounding buildings, loving the quaint age of England. He looked over the photos he’d snapped, pausing on a particular shot. There was a flash of unnatural, bright green in it beside a car. 

“Jack,” Ethan said, grinning. “I found you.”

He walked towards the buildings, figuring that Jack was just grabbing something from one of the stores. He looked around, searching for that green again. He looked to his camera, to the car Jack had been beside, then looked back up. 

There it was. Some black, expensive thing that looked like it could pull up to the red carpet just as easily as go off roading. Ethan looked around it, but saw no one. He frowned, standing beside the car. There wasn’t anyone—

The car was moving. Ethan stepped back and noticed it was rocking a little on its shocks. Ethan squinted, then peered into the car, wondering if there was a cute dog or something locked in there. It wasn’t too hot, and he wasn’t in California anymore, so he was sure it wasn’t much of a risk, but he was never the one to turn down a cute doggo. 

The windows were tinted, so it was a little harder to make out, but he saw what looked like a human, and the more he stared, the clearer it became. It was a person, a person with green hair. But this totally wasn’t Jack’s care, so Ethan wasn’t sure why—

Holy shit, wait, there was someone else in there with him. There were arms around his waist and legs around his hips. Ethan could see they were getting pretty hot and heavy, but he didn’t know who Jack was with, he had to find out! Ethan squinted and lingered just a little longer, but nothing was coming out clearly. Fuck, his stupid eyes and glasses. 

This was prime blackmail material, and Ethan needed to find out who this was, so he wiped the glass with his shirt, put his camera against the glass, turned off the flash, and shot a couple photos. He giggled conspiratorially to himself, darting away, looking through the photos to see if he had any sort of clue. 

It was mostly just the green and the hands on Jack’s shoulders. He was a little jealous of whoever was in there, getting the VIP treatment from their resident Irishman. Not that he wanted to fuck Jack or anything, but damn, they looked like they were having a good time. Ethan almost wanted to talk to whoever else was in there and ask if—

Holy shit, wait, there was silver hair alongside the green. 

Ethan stopped walking to stare at the photo. Now that he looked, the hands were definably masculine, and whoever this was was wearing socks with sandals. Ethan didn’t know a lot of people in this country, but he only knew of one person who had all those details coming together like this. Were Jack and Felix…

“Ethan!”

Ethan looked up at the sound of his name coming from Jack, who was standing by the car with a wide smile. Felix was standing just behind him. “Look who’s here!”

Ethan pointed a finger at them. “You two were—”

Except he wasn’t supposed to be watching. “Uh, hey,” he said in a wobbly voice. “I, I just.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Felix said with a friendly smile, holding out a hand to shake. A hand that Ethan had three shots of on his camera, twisted in the back of Jack’s shirt. Jesus christ, they had been making out in the backseat of a car. Ethan didn’t know what to do with this information, but he was suddenly certain that not many people were supposed to know. Robin had probably found out on accident sometime yesterday. “Dude?”

Ethan took Felix’s hand and shook, knowing that he had totally just flopped his introduction to fucking PewDiePie, god dammit. All because he’d just found out who PewDiePie was fucking. God dammit. 

“I’m not this stupid most of the time, I promise,” Ethan sighed.

“Me neither,” Felix agreed with a laugh. “I’m gonna join you guys for dinner, yeah? If that’s cool?”

“Totally cool,” Ethan replied. As Felix pulled his hand away, Ethan looked down at his camera and made a mental note to delete all of this later. He wasn’t about to make enemies out of his friends. 

. . .

“Our one year anniversary present from who?” Felix asked as Jack set the present down in his lap. “Isn’t it a little late? That would’ve been a few days ago, right?”

“You’re saying that like ye’ don’t know the date.”

“Seán, you and I both forgot about the anniversary,” Felix reminded Jack with a laugh. “We’re shit with dates, it isn’t a big deal, we could always just celebrate at the New Year or something. But who the hell even remembered for us? Is it Mark?”

“Almost all of our friends know now,” Jack said with a shrug. “Uh, let me think. Mark, of course. Bob, Wade, Brad, uh…”

“Probably anyone on your stream, because how the fuck wouldn’t they know?”

“You were the one who blew me.”

“You were the one on the edge of a panic attack.”

Jack grinned, looking like he though the memory was a fond one. Felix could hardly agreed. He’d found Jack wheezing for breath, panicking over ruining everything and letting everyone down. Felix had basically gone for gold and done the only thing that ever corrected Jack’s breathing— give him an awesome orgasm through his own fear for Jack’s safety. “Just open it.”

The gift was a small box, wrapped up in silver paper. It had their names on it. Felix thought it was pretty cute, and he hated to open it, because whoever had wrapped this was apparently boss at it. “You know, you really did want to keep it a secret to as few people as possible,” Felix reminded Jack. “What was the reason again?”

“The die-hard Septiplier fans would drive you to suicide,” Jack said with a grimmest expression. “The ones who hate Amy. How do you hate Amy? Plus, people will just be dicks. And you and I ain’t ready to have ye’ bullied out of your mind again. Last year was hard enough.”

Felix fluttered his eyelashes up at Jack. “You’re so good to me.”

“Open the fucking gift.”

Felix tore into the wrapping paper and opened a velvet box that looked like it would hold a ring, but actually had a thumb drive in it. Jack frowned, but handed Felix his laptop all the same. Felix sat up, making room for Jack on the couch, as he started up the laptop and plugged in the drive. It was titled “JELIX,” which Felix thought was cute. There was a single video file on it, titled the same. 

“The fuck is that?” Jack asked. Felix double clicked and the video started.

“Oh shit,” he said, recognizing himself instantly. He had no idea where this was going, so when on-screen Felix started to smile and talk to someone, Felix knew he would have to chew Brad out later. 

_”Wow, way to make me sound like a shitty boyfriend._

“Please tell me ye’ didn’t send this t’ Brad,” Jack groaned. 

“How else would we have it?”

The video footage continued and Felix blushed as he and Jack made out pretty heavily on screen. The sound of his own moaning through the filter the speakers was humiliating. “Do I really sound that fucking stupid?”

“Good god, I’m gonna jack off to this later,” Jack said. “You sound fantastic.”

_“I’m so happy you’re here.”_

They both fell quiet as that phrase crossed their ears. They both remembered how hard it had been back in those days, unable to see one another except on the rarest occasion. Felix remembered lying awake for hours in an empty bed, hating the memories he had of Jack being beside him where the sheets were twisted and cold. Seeing the naked relief of having Jack there in this video really brought how lucky Felix was into perspective.

The clip ended, but the video wasn’t over. 

“Oh god, what else?” Jack groaned. 

The next clip was only half the frame, the other half showing Jack and Felix making out again. “Is that all we do?” Felix asked. “Just, like, swap spit? Jesus, Seán, we need more emotional substance in our relationship and not just sex.”

“Fucking christ, this is when I was Skyping Mark!” Jack gasped, betrayed. On-screen Felix started moaning again, but he really couldn’t blame himself this time. Jack had had his fucking hand down his pants, what was Felix supposed to do?

_“Five minutes.”_

_“Make it thirty.”_

“At least Mark knew,” Jack said. “Pretty sure we weren’t out to Brad when he got that footage. Nice of him not t’ give ye’ shit.”

“Shit, Seán, it isn’t even over yet.”

There was a huge montage next, various photos of him and Jack taken without their knowledge. A couple were from restaurants, another was from inside their house. It was broken up with a clip of PJ snickering into his phone camera, then turning to record the sounds of Felix and Jack having awesome birthday sex in the other room.

 _”They’re totally gonna break something,”_ Pj said to the camera. 

Then there were more photos, all of them sneaky and underhand. Jack got particularly angry at one photo that showed Felix and Jack making out (“Seán, seriously, we make out way too much”) in Felix’s car. “Fucking Ethan!” Jack was shouting. “That fucking shithead!”

As the montage came to an end, a final slide faded into focus. 

_“Happy One Year Anniversary._

_We know._

_Lovingly, Brad, PJ, Mark, Ethan, Emma, Robin, Bob, Wade, Emily, Amy.”_

“Holy shit, that’s a lot of people.” Felix looked to Jack, eyes a little wide. “Holy fuck.”

“Might as well come out t’ the world now,” Jack grumbled. 

“I love our friends.”

Jack sighed heavily, then cracked a smile. “And I love you, Fe’. Happy Anniversary, you fuck.”

Felix looked to the finished video. “… Wanna go make out before we yell at all of them?”

“Thought ye’ thought we made out too much?”

“We can work on that tomorrow.”

“Bedroom. Now.”

Felix laughed and slapped Jack’s ass playfully as his boyfriend got up to race him to the bedroom. There was a certain giddiness that came with knowing your friends accepted you without needing to be asked. He liked to think his friends knew that Jack was the best thing to ever happen to him.

“I beat ye’! Now we gotta do one weird, kinky thing of my choice! Get the whipped cream!”

God dammit, Jack was the best thing to ever happen to him.


End file.
